


the meaning of 'i love you'

by ariya167



Category: Zeroes Series - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Dancing, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hiking, Humor, M/M, Mid-Canon, Multi, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-11-07 17:05:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17964572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariya167/pseuds/ariya167
Summary: Tumblr love prompts.





	1. Kelsie/Chizara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'This is your favourite, right?'

“This is your favourite, right?” Kelsie asked, sliding one of her records onto the player.

Chizara glanced over as it started to play, a lo-fi, mellow pop song that was one of the few in Kelsie’s collection that she could stand to listen to. “Yeah,” she said, smiling. Surrounded by the Dish’s Faraday cage, the nearest tech the wi-fi routers upstairs and the record player-more mechanical than electronic-she could finally relax.

“Nice,” Kelsie grinned, turning up the volume until sound spilled across the walls. She started to dance, raising her hands above her head and shimmying in place to a beat that was definitely not the one in the song.

Chizara laughed, but soon Kelsie was gesturing for her to join her.

“No way-”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“Ugh, fine,” she said, walking over to Kelsie. “Happy now?”

Kelsie’s smile grew even wider. “Very.”

Chizara snorted, but started to dance anyways. Maybe it was Kelsie’s crowd magic at work, but there was something about the Dish that just made her feel safe.

“Okay, I’ll admit, this is nice,” she said, letting her head drop to Kelsie’s shoulder as they swayed together.

“It is, isn’t it?”


	2. Flicker/Thibault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Put your seatbelt on.'

“Put your seatbelt on,” Flicker says as Thibault turns the key in the ignition.

Thibault blinks, turning to look at her. He’d thought there wasn’t much left about Flicker that could surprise him, but apparently he was wrong. “How-?”

“Blind people powers,” she says, and laughs. “I didn’t hear the click.”

“Oh, right,” he says, and buckles himself in. “Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Flicker says, and laughs again as he pulls out of the parking lot.

He drives slowly, though there’s not much traffic. It’s nice to just sit back and relax, and in the closed environment of the car, the soft cloud of Flicker’s senses rest firmly on him, even as her sightlines dart in and out of the few drivers on the road.

Thibault almost misses the exit, but another car drives past, lending Flicker the driver’s vision, and she smacks his arm.

“Thanks,” he says, totally serious. She rolls her eyes and he starts laughing before he can stop himself.

The road they’re on now is definitely the one less-travelled, and Thibault slows even more, not wanting to slide and hit a tree. But it’s not long before he pulls into the parking lot by the hiking trail.

Flicker takes in a deep breath when she gets out of the car, tilting her head up towards the sun. “Smells very … earthy.” She turns around, shooting Thibault a grin. “Seriously, thanks for bringing me out here.”

“Of course,” he says, and takes her hand, leading her down the hiking trail. The warm, dappled sunlight casts shadows across her face as she lifts it towards the sun, and Thibault knows there’s nowhere else he’d rather be right now.


	3. Flicker/Chizara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Here, take my jacket.'

“Here, take my jacket,” Flicker said, foisting it onto Chizara’s shoulders.

“Thanks,” Chizara said dryly. She wasn’t actually cold, but after some experience arguing with Flicker, she knew it’d be less of a disagreement than a deathmatch between two incredibly stubborn people. An immovable object versus an unstoppable force. So yes, she took the jacket. “How chivalrous of you.”

“I aim to please,” Flicker said, giving a goofy little bow, and Chizara snorted.

The wind picked up and Chizara shivered a little, hunching into the jacket. Okay, maybe she was a little cold. It was nearly November, after all.

Walking home with Flicker after Zeroes meetings had become somewhat of a routine these days. Normally, Chizara preferred to catch the bus, but it wasn’t too far to walk. And even though Flicker’s house was much closer to Nate’s than Chizara’s, she always walked with her.

Chizara had to admit, it was kind of nice.

“Here’s me,” she said, stopping by her front porch. She slipped Flicker’s jacket off, ready to hand it back, but Flicker shook her head, smiling.

“Keep it,” she called over her shoulder, heading back towards the sidewalk. “See you next week!”

“See you next week,” Chizara answered, and for the first time in a very long time, she couldn’t wait for the next meeting.


	4. Thibault/Kelsie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Sing something for me?'

Kelsie nods along to the music, cranking the volume until it feels like the walls of her bedroom are shaking.

“Oh yeah,” she murmurs, dancing and humming along to the song.

“Hey,” someone says behind her over the music, and she whirls around. At first she doesn’t recognize the guy, but then she remembers. Anonymous-no, Thibault, lives across the hall from her.

“Oh,” Kelsie says, hastily turning down the volume. “Sorry about the noise.”

“No, it’s okay,” he says, shaking his head. He’s a scruffy-looking guy-pale, like he hasn’t been outside in months, and in desperate need of a haircut.

Kelsie’s always thought there was something creepy about him, how he feels like a cold spot in the crowd. But now that it’s just the two of them, she can feel his presence more clearly. It’s warm and mellow and kind of nice. 

“Um,” Kelsie says when she realizes she’s just been staring at him without saying anything. “Sorry-do you want something or-?”

“Uh,” Thibault says, looking down at his feet. “Um, I was wondering if . . . you’d sing something for me?”

Kelsie laughs. Thibault doesn’t. “Oh,” she says. “You’re serious.”

He starts to retreat towards the door. “If you don’t want to-”

“No, it’s fine, it’s just-” she laughs again. “Trust me, you do not want to hear that.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he says, smiling. It’s a nice smile, Kelsie thinks, and jumps, because . . . what?

“See you around,” she says as he leaves, and he looks back at her, still smiling. 

“See you around.”


	5. Thibault/Ethan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'How long have you been like this?'

Hiding in a hotel while drug dealers and cops are on his tail is not very high on Ethan’s to-do list, but now that he’s actually doing it, he has to admit that it’s a lot more boring that he expected. Video games are fun and all, but losing to Thibault over and over has quickly gotten old. Not to mention how surprisingly uptight the guy is. 

“How long have you been like this?” Tee asks with an air of long-suffering, eyes narrowed with disgust. 

“Whmphp?” Ethan says around the potato chips in his mouth. He swallows, and repeats himself. “What?”

Thibault waves a hand at Ethan’s . . . everything. Which, rude much?

“Hey,” he says. “Just because I’m not Mr. Zen like you-”

“You don’t need to be a Buddhist to have manners!” Thibault says loudly, and Ethan gets the sense that this has been a long time coming. “I just-would it kill you to use a napkin? Or eat anything that isn’t fried?”

Ethan blinks. “Um-”

Thibault sighs, his head dropping into his hands. “Sorry,” he says eventually. “I’m just not-”

“Used to have any human contact?” Ethan says without thinking. He’s just started to regret it when Thibault snorts with laughter, his head still down on the table. 

“Okay,” he says, raising his head. “That’s not actually that funny.”

“Excuse you, I’m hilarious,” Ethan says, and that sends Thibault into more laughter.

“Fine, fine,” he relents, and laughs again.


	6. Flicker/Chizara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'I meant every word.'

Flicker corners Chizara after the Zeroes meeting, when she’s leaving Nate’s house for the bus station.

“Hey!” she calls, hurrying down the sidewalk. Chizara turns, Flicker’s orange sundress appearing in her vision.

“What is it?” Chizara asks, sounding annoyed. “Did Glorious Leader forget something?”

Flicker snorts. “No, it’s not about Nate. It’s, uh-”

Shit.

Flicker likes to consider herself a pretty confident person, or more accurately, a pretty stubborn person. She doesn’t like backing down from things, or giving up, but here she is, tongue-tied over asking Chizara on a date.

“It’s about me,” she says finally. “I’d, ah, like to ask you on a date.”

Chizara doesn’t say anything, just stares at her. Flicker blinks, and is about to say something else when Chizara says, “Wait, you’re serious?”

“What?” Flicker laughs. “Of course I’m serious. You’re very cool. And funny, and nice even if you won’t admit it. I like you, a lot.”

“Really?” Chizara asks.

“I meant every word,” she says, totally serious, and Chizara snorts.

“Alright,” she says, her voice softer, and Flicker imagines she’s smiling. “Let’s see how this goes.”


	7. Thibault/Ethan

“Did I ever tell you,” Thibault starts, leaning back in his chair. “About the time I got hit by a car?” 

Ethan splutters, choking on nothing. When he’s able to speak again, he says, very eloquently, “What?” 

“I mean,” he continues, as if Ethan hasn’t said anything. Which, rude. “I’ve had a lot of near-misses. But-”

Ethan holds up his hands. “Wait-just, just hang on a second,” he says, interrupting. “Are you telling me that you think a story about you getting hit by a car is, I don’t know, charming or something?”

Thibault blinks, almost owlishly. “I mean-” 

“Thibault,” Ethan says slowly. “I can’t believe I have to say this, but-look both ways before you cross the street.” 

“Oh, come on-”

“I’m serious!”

They both end up laughing, hard, though Thibault tries to hide it by waving his hand in front of his face. It doesn’t work. 

“Okay, okay,” Thibault says finally. “I get it. Thank you for your concern.” 

“Any day,” Ethan says, and leans over the table to kiss him, just to see him smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Look both ways before you cross.'


End file.
